First of all, welcome to FlyerTalk.

I've been in "the business" since 1983, mainly on the agency side, and can tell you that it's a rewarding career if you stick with it. However, you will never become rich in a monetary sense; although you can certainly make a decent living if you are good at what you do (I approach 6 figures in US$ annually.) I tried to "get out" in my early 30s, and came right back. This industry is something that is either in your blood, or isn't. Many, many folks here on FT are of the opinion that the majority of people in my industry, in particular travel agents, are worthless. Whilst this is true of those who see it only as a paycheck, there are those of us who do it because it's in our veins, and are very good at what we do. If you don't provide value, you are indeed useless.

I started with a job at World Airways in the charter division, landing a position in "operations" (i.e. hand-writing tickets) after my very first job interview. My boss said he saw a sparkle in my eyes when I talked about travel, and hired me despite the "6 months minimum experience" required for the job. I learned early on that there is a camaraderie in the airline industry that is hard to match, and moved to Pan American as a lowly telephone operator, begging to be trained in tariffs. In those days, PAA had the most experienced, knowledgeable reservations agents in the world, and I was in awe.

This was my first window on the world of non-rev travel, and I took advantage of it at every opportunity, traveling the Pan Am network to the ends of the earth. I remained until the bitter end on December 4th, 1991, when I moved to the agency side, working at a similar outfit to STA. There I gained my first experience of selling complex, international itineraries involving all carriers (not just Pan Am) and the ins and outs of the agency side of the industry. However, the pay and working conditions weren't for me, and I moved into the corporate side of the travel agency business, where I discovered that businessmen (and women) knew where and when they wanted to travel, and didn't dilly-dally around about price. Back then, the airlines paid commissions, and things were rosy since the agents took a share of the agency commission on all sales.

I worked like a dog for a couple of years, actually exceeding a 6 figure paycheck in 1993, but felt burned out and in a mid-life crisis (although I don't think I was technically in mid-life .) After toying with the idea of becoming a chef, or opening a B&B, I figured out that I was meant to be in the travel agency or airline business. I took a ridiculously low paying job at the airline then flying banners saying, "welcome to OUR friendly skies" specifically to take their extensive, intensive training on international rate and tariffs regulations. My calculated move paid off, and I scored a job at a large publishing company in their in-house travel department, responsible for faring all complex international itineraries, and being handsomely rewarded for my efforts (with a percentage of the money I saved the company.)

That job ended with layoffs after the dot.com boom, and I once again found myself considering the airline side. But I fell into my current position when I emailed an old boss from the early 1990s to advise that some calls may be forthcoming for a reference, and generally updating my resume. Well it turns out that the old boss had grown the company into one of the largest independent travel agencies in the United States since I'd been gone, and although still based in New England, the majority of the agents were now virtual. So here I sit, happier than ever in my career, making an excellent salary, and still in "the business."

So what am I saying with this anecdote?

I think the first thing is that if you feel it in your blood, then this industry is for you. And second, don't try to plan your career with definitive statements like, "only an agent for 2 years," etc. I think you'll find that if you love what you do, and are good at it, the universe will provide. I can certainly tell you that it's harder and harder to travel by air on industry tickets. So much so that I now make 1K status on United each year on my own dime, but I make it with the minimum amount of expenditure thanks to my skills, FlyerTalk, and my airline computer. The perks from hotels, cars and cruises are still worthwhile. I'm happy being a travel agent, but you have to be really good at what you do to make a comfortable living. There are management roles on both the airline side and the agency side that pay well too.

So welcome to the industry, and good luck in your endeavors. We have lost many, many people with drive and passion over the difficult past years, and it's nice to see that replacements are on the way. I hope that your fascination with "all things Emirates" leads to a long and successful career, with that world class airline, or elsewhere.